. . . OF OLD, UNHAPPY THINGS 337
and, as a rule., the characteristic consistency of natural
products. . . . Still3 I am not to be taken as maniacally
opposed to all artificial manuring. I use it occasionally
myself in a country where natural manure is, owing to
inaccessibility, difficult to obtain . . . often enough, indeed,
to be able to say without any doubt at all that melons,
sweet corn, egg-plant, and strawberries chemically manured
crop a very little more heavily and are markedly flavourless
as compared with the same fruits and vegetables when
naturally produced. You will not find these dicta confirmed
by scientists or large cash-growers—but I may be taken to
be fairly impartial. I mean that I should welcome any-
thing that would rationally reduce the hours of work needed
for agriculture on condition that the quality of the food did
not suffer as it has hitherto suffered.
§
Not overcrowded then—for I must repeat that the only
certain remedy for over-population is increasing the standard
of living of a population. . . . Not overcrowded, suffi-
ciently, not injuriously occupied, there is no reason why
upon the Great Route the Golden Age should not revive
itself—merchants, pedlars, and gipsies and all. I do not
see that there would be any necessity to suppress the great
towns. A certain metropolitan spirit is a necessity in the
W0rld—it is3 indeed, Civilization itself. New York, Paris,
London, Rome are cultural necessities of the Route and
there is no reason except local jealousies why the South
itself should not evolve a Metropolis* There would, indeed,
be every reason why she should if she is to contain the greater
part of the population of the country. But the great cities
would become essentially pleasure, night-life and art
centres, losing completely their administrative and industrial
aspects. . . . What little administration there was—for we
should have reduced that to a minimum in the hands of
part-time Administrators chosen by lot or merely hereditary,
I don't care which—might perfectly well be conducted
from Washington for the West . . . and after all, why not
Geneva for the East? . . , It might be as well to have your